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C. M. CONLEE.

CLOTHESPIN.

APPLICATION FILED APR. so. 1918.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

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' ikfiplication filed April 30, ms. Serial in. 231,724.

To all'whom izmayeomeam 7 v 4 Be it known that I, CLAY M. CON-LEE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Modesto, in the county ofStanislaus, State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Clothespins; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

The invention relates to aclothes pin, and more particularly to theclass of resilient wire clothes pins.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a clothes pin ofthis character in which the jaws will be adapted to grip, resiliently,clothing and a clothes line therebetween.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a clothes pin ofthis character which can be readily manipulated and which may beconstructed from a single piece of resilient relatively stiff wire.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a clothes pin ofthis character which is extremely simple in construction, thoroughlyreliable and efficient in its operaand inexpensive to manufacture.

Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists in thefeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as willbe hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing,and pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of the clothespin constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 looking in thedirection of the arrow.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views in the drawing.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the clothes pin is formed from asingle length of comparatively stiff resilient wire A bent on itself andformed between the ends of the resultant parallel stretches to provide adouble spring coil 5 and opposite arms 6,

*one of the arms being extended to form' a straight jaw 7 and the otherarm being bent on itself at right angles and the stretches of the wireseparated to provide a guide loop 8 through which the jaw 7 is engaged.Beyond the loop 8, the wire is formed into divergent fingers 9constituting a companion jaw for said jaw 7 cooperating therewith so asto grip a clothes line. These aws 9 are given greater strength bydoubling the end portions selves as shown, and the free ends 17 of thewire are each folded about the portions of the wire which springdirectly from the loop 8, the fingers 9 being thus locked together soasto maintain the loop.

The jaw 7 at a point spaced from its end is formed with a bight 1 0constitutin a notch or seat 11 for the clothes line while tile lingers 9are bent at points spaced from their ends to form an abutment orshoulder 12 for said clothes line to .hold the line within the bight 10.The outer or free ends of the jaw 7 and fingers 9 constituting thecompanion jaw are curved outwardly to provide flared extremities 13 topermit the easy insertion of the clothes line between the jaws.

The arms 6 are formed with finger engaging portions '14 which are formedby bending the stretches of the wire outwardly into substantially Vshape and at opposite sides of one of these portions 14 the stretches ofthe wire are twisted as at 15 while at one side of the other portion 14the wire is twisted at 16 thereby reinforcing and strengthening thearms.

The spring coil 5 will tension the jaw 7 and the jaw formed by thefingers 9 to hold these jaws normally together and will exert therequired pressure thereon for the firm and secure fastening of clothesupon a line. When the portions 14 are pressed toward each other the awsWlll separate to permit the easy removal of the clothes pin from theline.

What is claimed is A clothes pin consisting of a doubled length of wire,the stretches thereof being formed between their ends to produce aspring coil in each, the stretches of the wire between the said springcoils and their connected ends constituting one jaw, the said stretchesof the wire beyond the said coils from their connected endsextendingparallel with the jaw for a distance and then ex- V tending alt-rightangles anc1-being epamtd 3 and again brought together coform 21, 100pthrough which the saidjawis engaged,,the V stretches of thewirebeybnd'the 100D 'eXt'end- .ing in divergentirelation and being fpldedupon themselves to bring the free extre'i i i Witnesses:

@tiels pf the wire adjgcen'ptorthe loep, said ifree extrjeniities bein'gfolded 'abolit both" T 1 v stretqhes of the Wire te p event separationpei iiioiig ate t he point at 10 Which they spring from the loop.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signatur'e, in 'thepresence of twoWitnesses.

CLAY M. CONLEE.

GIG. NELSON,

. A. HARTERE.

I Copies; pt tliispatent mayrhe' olitained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of latents.

' ,Washington, D. c.

